How Does a Forensic Scientist Spend a Workday?

Working as an Evidence Analyst

Many forensic scientists split their workday between two roles. When working as an evidence analyst, a forensic scientist works to inventory evidence that is incoming and to also prepare it so that units that are working on that case are able to examine it. There are a wide variety of items that an evidence analyst will prepare and inventory, including DNA, fingerprints, hair, bones and other things, including guns.

Working as an Evidence Technician

Evidence technicians spend more of their time actually working with evidence. Most of this time involves evidence that has been taken from a crime scene and analyzing it for fibers, hairs and other kinds of evidence. Evidence technicians also can help work with investigators to find evidence at a crime scene and to help re-create some of the events that led up to the crime. Once the hairs and fibers have been extracted from the evidence, they are usually mounted on a slide for further examination. Then, a forensic scientist can investigate these samples using a microscope and can compare different samples. Other work can include trying to identify whether bones came from a human, facial reconstruction, or trying to investigate wounds to determine the cause of the trauma.

Other Duties

In some cases, forensic scientists may be called upon to appear in court. In these situations they are brought in as expert witnesses to provide their professional opinion as to how certain evidence should be interpreted. Forensic scientists can also work as instructors at police academies, helping educate police officers on the proper collection and handling of evidence. Finally, in the case of a major disaster, forensic scientists are often called upon to help with the recovery and identification of remains.